Abstract:

A resist solution is discussed. The resist solution includes: a base
polymer, a tackifier, a carrier solvent, a printing solvent. The resist
solution further includes a methoxy-based silane coupling agent which has
a weak affinity for a carrier solvent containing ethanol.

Claims:

2. The resist solution claimed as claim 1, wherein the methoxy-based
ailane coupling agent includes any one selected from a group of
N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane,
3-aminopropylimethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane,
vinyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane,
p-styryltrimethoxysilane, and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

3. The resist solution claimed as claim 1, whereinthe base polymer
includes any one selected from a group of phenol, cresol, novolac, and
poly methyl metharylate acrylate (PMMA),the tackifier includes acryl,
melamine, a urethane-based polymer, and polyhydroxystyrene (PHS)
containing multiple hydroxy groups, andthe printing solvent includes any
one selected from a group of propylene carbonate, N-methyl pyrrolidinone
(NMP), ethyl benzoate, and tri-isoprophyl benzene.

4. A method of forming a pattern, the method comprising:preparing a print
roller device on which a blanket is wound in a roll;coating the blanket
with a resist solution include a base polymer, a tackifier, a carrier
solvent, a printing solvent, and a methoxy-based silane coupling
agent;phase-changing the resist solution into a resist of solid
phase;preparing a printed plate of an intaglio type include grooves of a
desired thin shape and protrusions between the grooves; andtranscopying
the resist to the protrusions of the printed plate by rotating the print
roller device until the resist is in contact with the printed plate.

5. The method claimed as claim 4, wherein the methoxy-based ailane
coupling agent includes any one selected from a group of
N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane,
3-aminopropylimethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane,
vinyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane,
p-styryltrimethoxysilane, and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

6. The method as claim 4, whereinthe base polymer includes any one
selected from a group of phenol, cresol, novolac, and poly methyl
metharylate acrylate (PMMA),the tackifier includes acryl, melamine, a
urethane-based polymer, and polyhydroxystyrene (PHS) containing multiple
hydroxy groups, andthe printing solvent includes any one selected from a
group of propylene carbonate, N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP), ethyl
benzoate, and tri-isoprophyl benzene.

[0006]Among these flat display devices, an LCD device controls a light
transmissivity of liquid crystal using an electric field to display a
picture (or an image). To this end, the LCD device includes a liquid
crystal panel on which liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix and
a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel.

[0007]The liquid crystal panel includes a thin film transistor array
substrate and a color filter array substrate opposite to each other.
Also, the liquid crystal panel further includes spacers constantly
maintaining a cell gap between the two substrates and liquid crystal
filled in the cell gap.

[0008]The thin film transistor array substrate includes gate and data
lines, thin film transistors formed at intersections of the gate and data
lines, pixel electrodes connected to the respective thin film
transistors, and an alignment film coated on the pixel electrodes. The
pixel electrodes are formed in a liquid crystal cell unit. The gate and
data lines receive signals from the driving circuit through respective
pad portions. Each of the thin film transistors replies to a scan signal
from the respective gate line and applies a pixel signal, which is
supplied to the respective data line, to the respective pixel electrode.

[0009]The color filter array substrate includes color filters formed in a
liquid crystal cell unit, a black matrix dividing the color filters and
reflecting external light, and a common electrode commonly applying a
reference voltage to liquid crystal cells. Also, the color filter array
substrate further includes an alignment film coated on the above
structure.

[0010]Such a liquid crystal panel is produced through a process of
independently manufacturing the thin film transistor array substrate and
the color filter array substrate, combining the substrates, injecting a
liquid crystal material between the combined substrates, and sealing the
liquid crystal between the combined substrates.

[0011]In a liquid crystal panel of the related art, thin film patterns are
formed by a photolithography process and an etching process. However, the
photolithography process includes a plurality of processes, such as an
exposure process, a development process, a cleaning process, and a test
process so that the manufacturing cost of the liquid crystal panel is
increased. Thus, a method of patterning a thin film by a reverse off-set
roll printing method is recently more commonly used instead of the
photolithography process.

[0012]The reverse off-set roll printing method enables a resist solution
dispensed from a resist solution dispenser to be coated on a blanket
wound around a print roller device. The print roller device is rolled in
such a manner so as to move the resist solution into a printed plate,
thereby transcribing the resist solution only on the protrusions of the
print roller. As such, the resist solution remaining on the print roller
device has a shape corresponding to a desired thin film pattern.
Accordingly, a resist pattern can be formed on a substrate by
transcribing the resist solution on the print roller device into the
substrate again.

[0013]The resist solution used in the reverse off-set roll printing method
includes a base polymer, an ethanol based carrier solvent, a printing
solvent, an ethoxy based silane coupling agent, and others.

[0014]Such a reverse off-set roll printing method is necessary to have
time for drying the resist solution and maintaining the dried resist
solution, before the resist solution coated on the blanket is transcribed
into the printed plate.

[0015]More specifically, the carrier solvent among the components of the
resist solution is volatilized in order to move the resist solution
toward the surface of the blanket. As such, the resist solution on the
surface of the blanket is changed into a gel state. To this end, it is
required to have time for drying the resist solution and maintaining the
dried resist solution.

[0016]Moreover, the use of the ethoxy based silane coupling agent and the
ethanol based carrier solvent, which have a strong affinity for each
other, forces the dried resist solution to have a longer maintaining
time, but increases the drying time of the resist solution.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0017]Accordingly, the present embodiments are directed to a resist
solution that substantially obviates one or more of problems due to the
limitations and disadvantages of the related art, and a method of forming
patterns using the same.

[0018]An object of the present embodiment is to provide a resist solution
that is adapted to reduce its drying time before it is transcribed from a
blanket into a printed plate, and a method of forming a pattern using the
same.

[0019]Additional features and advantages of the embodiments will be set
forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from
the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments. The
advantages of the embodiments will be realized and attained by the
structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims
hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0020]According to one general aspect of the present embodiment, a resist
solution includes: a base polymer, a tackifier, a carrier solvent, a
printing solvent, and a methoxy-based silane coupling agent.

[0021]The methoxy-based ailane coupling agent can include any one selected
from a group of N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane,
3-aminopropylimethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane,
vinyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane,
p-styryltrimethoxysilane, and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane.

[0022]The base polymer can include any one selected from a group of
phenol, cresol, novolac, and poly methyl metharylate acrylate (PMMA). The
tackifier include acryl, melamine, a urethane-based polymer, and
polyhydroxystyrene (PHS) containing multiple hydroxy groups. Also, the
printing solvent can include any one selected from a group of propylene
carbonate, N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP), ethyl benzoate, and
tri-isoprophyl benzene.

[0023]A method of forming a pattern using a resist solution according to
another aspect of the present embodiment includes: preparing a print
roller device on which a blanket is wound in a roll; coating the blanket
with a resist solution include a base polymer, a tackifier, a carrier
solvent, a printing solvent, and a methoxy-based silane coupling agent;
phase-changing the resist solution into a resist of solid phase;
preparing a printed plate of an intaglio type include grooves of a
desired thin shape and protrusions between the grooves; and transcopying
the resist to the protrusions of the printed plate by rotating the print
roller device until the resist is in contact with the printed plate.

[0024]Other systems, methods, features and advantages will be, or will
become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the
following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such
additional systems, methods, features and advantages be included within
this description, be within the scope of the invention, and be protected
by the following claims. Nothing in this section should be taken as a
limitation on those claims. Further aspects and advantages are discussed
below in conjunction with the embodiments. It is to be understood that
both the foregoing general description and the following detailed
description of the present disclosure are exemplary and explanatory and
are intended to provide further explanation of the disclosure as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025]The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further
understanding of the embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a
part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and
together with the description serve to explain the disclosure. In the
drawings:

[0026]FIGS. 1A through 1G are chemical formulas showing a methoxy based
silane coupling agent according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure;

[0027]FIGS. 2A and 2B are graphic diagrams comparing drying times of a
resist solution according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and
a resist solution of the related art;

[0028]FIGS. 3A to 3E are cross-sectional views explaining a
pattern-forming method which uses a resist solution according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0029]FIG. 4A to 4E are cross-sectional views explaining a manufacturing
method of a thin film transistor array substrate employing a
pattern-forming method which uses a resist solution according to an
embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030]Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the
present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings. These embodiments introduced hereinafter are provided as
examples in order to convey their spirits to the ordinary skilled person
in the art. Therefore, these embodiments might be embodied in a different
shape, so are not limited to these embodiments described here. Also, the
size and thickness of the device might be expressed to be exaggerated for
the sake of convenience in the drawings. Wherever possible, the same
reference numbers will be used throughout this disclosure including the
drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

[0031]A resist solution and a pattern-forming method using the same will
now be described referring to attached drawings.

[0032]A resist solution according to an embodiment of the present
disclosure includes a base polymer, a tackifier, a carrier solvent, a
printing solvent, a silane coupling agent based on methoxy, and an
additive, such as a surfactant or a dye. Examples of the base polymer are
phenol, cresol, novolac, poly methyl metharylate acrylate, and others.

[0033]The carrier solvent is used as a solvent that lowers the viscosity
of the resist solution, which is dispensed from a resist solution
dispenser, in order to uniformly coat the resist solution on a blanket.
To this end, the carrier solvent mainly includes ethanol and has a
boiling point of below 100° C.

[0034]The printing solvent is used for forcing the resist solution coated
on the blanket to have sticky or adhesive characteristic. Also, the
printing solvent dissolves the base polymer well. Examples of the print
solvent are propylene carbonate, N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP), ethyl
benzoate, tri-isoprophyl benzene, and others. The boiling point of the
printing solvent may be above 200° C.

[0035]The surfactant is a material which easily adheres to an interfacial
surface and largely lowers the surface tension of the interfacial
surface. As such, the surfactant is used for lowering the surface tension
of the resist solution. The surfactant can include an
ethylene-oxide-fluorinate-polymer based material containing
CR3(CF2)4(CH2CH2O)10 or
CF3(CF2)5(CH2CH2O)14.

[0037]The methoxy-based silane coupling agent is used for improving the
adhesive strength of the resist solution and simultaneously reducing the
drying time of the resist solution due to a weak affinity for the carrier
solvent containing ethanol. Examples of the methoxy-based silane coupling
agent are N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane shown in FIG.
1A, 3-aminopropylimethoxysilane shown in FIG. 1B,
3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane shown in FIG. 1c, vinyltrimethoxysilane
shown in FIG. 1D, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane shown in FIG. 1E,
p-styryltrimethoxysilane shown in FIG. 1F,
3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane shown in FIG. 1G, and others.

[0038]In this manner, the resist solution according to an embodiment of
the present disclosure includes the methoxy-based silane coupling agent.
Accordingly, the drying time of the resist solution can be reduced.

[0039]Sequentially, a resist solution of the present embodiment containing
a methoxy-based silane coupling agent will be compared to the related art
resist solution containing an ethoxy-based silane coupling agent.

[0040]FIGS. 2A and 2B are graphic diagrams comparing volatilizing amounts
(a y-axis) of carrier solvents according to time (an x-axis). The carrier
solvents include a resist solution of the present embodiment containing a
methoxy-based silane coupling agent and the related art resist solution
containing an ethoxy-based silane coupling agent. FIG. 2A is a measured
data sheet when the ethoxy-based silane coupling agent and the
methoxy-based silane coupling agent are included by 1%. FIG. 2B is a
measured data sheet when the ethoxy-based silane coupling agent and the
methoxy-based silane coupling agent are included by 5%.

[0041]Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the amount of the carrier solvent from
the resist solution according to time when using the methoxy-based silane
coupling agent is larger than that when using the ethoxy-based silane
coupling agent. As such, the drying time of the resist solution according
to an embodiment of the present disclosure is reduced.

[0042]A method of forming a pattern using a resist solution of the present
embodiment will now be explained.

[0043]As shown in FIG. 3A, a resist solution is first dispensed from a
resist solution dispenser 12 onto a blanket 15 which is wound on a print
roller device 10. At this time, the print roller device rotates so as to
uniformly coat the blanket 15 with the resist solution 14a. The resist
solution 14a includes a base polymer, a tackifier, a carrier solvent, a
printing solvent, a silane coupling agent based on methoxy, and an
additive, such as a surfactant or a dye.

[0044]A carrier solvent contained in the resist solution 14a volatilizes
after completion of the coating process, so that the resist solution 14a
of liquid phase changes to a gel state. The phase-changing time of the
resist solution 14a corresponding to the drying time of the resist
solution 14a can be reduced due to a weak affinity between the
methoxy-based silane coupling agent and an ethanol-based carrier solvent.

[0045]Sequentially, the print roller device 10 rotates to bring the resist
14a of a solid phase (i.e., the gel phase) in contact with a printed
plate 20, as shown in FIG. 3B. At this time, the resist 14a of the gel
phase is transcopied from the print roller device 100 to the protrusions
of the printed plate 20. Therefore, a residual resist 14b of a desired
pattern shape only remains on the print roller device 10, as shown in
FIG. 3c.

[0046]As shown in FIG. 3D, the residual resist 14b remained on the print
roller device 10 is transcopied onto an arbitrary metal layer 32a, such
as a substrate 30 on which a gate metal layer is formed. Then a hardening
process is performed for the transcopied resist. In the end, a resist
pattern 14c to be used for patterning the metal layer 32 is provided as
shown in FIG. 3E. Thereafter, the metal layer 32a exposed between the
resist pattern 14c is etched, so that the desired metal pattern is formed
on the substrate 30.

[0047]In this way, the pattern-forming method according to an embodiment
of the present disclosure can form every pattern for the LCD device as
well as any other pattern. In other words, the pattern-forming method is
not limited to the LCD device. Actually, the pattern-forming method
according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can form patterns
for field emission display (FED) device, plasma display panel (PDP),
organic light emitting diode (OLED), and others.

[0048]A method of manufacturing a thin film transistor array substrate
using the resist solution and the pattern forming method using the same
which are described above will now explained.

[0049]Referring to FIG. 4A, a first metal layer 211a is formed on a first
substrate 210 consisting of a transparent material such as glass.

[0050]Sequentially, a resist pattern is formed on a roller device 10 by
the method which uses a methoxy-based silane coupling agent as
illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3C. Then, the roller device 10 rotates until
the resist pattern comes in contact with the first metal layer 211a and
allows the resist pattern to be transcopied onto the first metal layer
211a. As such, a first resist pattern 238a is formed on the first metal
layer 211a.

[0051]Thereafter, the first metal layer 211a is etched using the first
resist pattern 238a as an etching mask, thereby forming a gate electrode
211 as shown in FIG. 4B. Also, a gate insulation film 212 is formed on
the substrate on which the gate electrode 211 is provided.

[0052]As shown in FIG. 4c, a semiconductor layer 213 is formed by
depositing and then patterning an amorphous silicon film, and a second
metal layer 214 is formed on the substrate 210 on which the semiconductor
layer 213 is provided. Another resist pattern is formed on a roller
device 10 by the method which uses a methoxy-based silane coupling agent
as illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3C. The roller device 10 rotates until
another resist pattern comes in contact with the second metal layer 214a
and allows another resist pattern to be transcopied onto the second metal
layer 214, so that a second resist pattern 238b is formed on the second
metal layer 214. In this case, the semiconductor layer 213 can also be
formed by the pattern-forming method which uses the resist solution of
the present embodiment, even though it is not shown in drawings.

[0053]The second metal layer 214 is etched using the second resist pattern
238b as an etching mask. As such, a source electrode 214a and a drain
electrode 214b are formed on the semiconductor layer 213 as shown in FIG.
4D.

[0054]Next, a protective film 215 is formed on the first substrate 210
including the source and drain electrodes 214a and 214b. The protective
film 215 is patterned to form a contact hole 217 exposing the drain
electrode 214b. At this time, although it is not shown in the drawings,
the contact hole 217 also can be formed by the pattern-forming method
which uses the resist solution according to the present embodiment.
Thereafter, a third metal layer 216a is formed on the entire surface of
the first substrate 210 including the protective film 215 and the contact
hole 217. Still another resist pattern is formed on a roller device 10 by
the method which uses a methoxy-based silane coupling agent as
illustrated in FIGS. 3A to 3C. The roller device 10 rotates until still
another resist pattern comes in contact with the third metal layer 216a
and allows that resist pattern to be transcopied onto the third metal
layer 216a, so that a third resist pattern 238c is formed on the third
metal layer 216a.

[0055]The third metal layer 216a is etched using the second resist pattern
238b as an etching mask. As such, a pixel electrode 216 electrically
connected to the drain electrode 214b is formed on the passivation film
215, as shown in FIG. 4E. Also, the process of manufacturing the thin
film transistor array substrate is completed.

[0056]As described above, the resist solution and the pattern forming
method using the same according to embodiments of the present disclosure
employ the methoxy-based silane coupling agent. Therefore, the drying
time of the resist solution can be reduced.

[0057]Although the present disclosure has been limitedly explained
regarding only the embodiments described above, it should be understood
by the ordinary skilled person in the art that the present disclosure is
not limited to these embodiments, but rather that various changes or
modifications thereof are possible without departing from the spirit of
the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure
shall be determined only by the appended claims and their equivalents.